good morning. breaking news. olympian hero oscar pistorius charged with murdering his girlfriend in his home overnight. the first double amputee to run in the olympics in a south africa courtroom right now. we're there live and we will have an exclusive interview with the woman who knew the couple. coming ashore, the crippled triumph, hours from docking in alabama, this morning, a passenger who was on that ship talks about the deplorable conditions they faced for the last five days. face to face with a killer. the couple who was tied up and held captive with christopher dorner as his reign of terror came to an end, thursday

february 14, 2013. from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer. this news coming out of south africa is hard to believe. we've been shaking our heads the last hour or so. oscar pistorius, one of the bright e brightest from the london games and inspiration to all. he was been charged with murder. >> they found 30-year-old model reeva steenkemp suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and oscar pistorius was taken into custody. >> we have a reporter in

pretoria. good morning to you. what can you tell us? >> hello. rohit, can you hear me? apparently he is having trouble hearing us. he was taken into custody and in court and taken for medical examination. according to the police in pretoria, we learned there had perhaps other incidents of violence at that home and called for domestic violence. i want to bring in our nbc sports analyst. first of all, your initial reaction to this? >> utter and absolute shock. anybody who's ever met oscar pistorius just simply cannot wrap their heads around what this could possibly be. >> this sounds very dramatic, a charge of murder. it is possible this could have been an accidental shooting. what do you know about the relationship between these two? >> i don't know much about the relationship.

one of the reports we're getting out of south africa now is they have gone to his house on multiple occasions for sort of arguments between these two, so i think that that sort of points in a different direction. >> you talk about the kind of guy oscar pistorius is. we had the chance to talk to him several occasions in london. he seems like a gentle soul. do you know anything about what his life has been like post olympics, what his emotional adjustment has been like after the olympic games? >> i can tell you the last time i talked to him maybe two or three months ago, he explained what happened to him in london, the success he had in london both in the summer olympics as well as the paralympics were beyond his wildest expectations and he was literally having the time of his life right now, literally going through the best months of his life. >> otto, we want you to stand by. we have rahit back with us from pretoria. rahit, what can you tell us?

>> reporter: good morning. details are still emerging but what we know is fairly horrifying for millions of south africans. we believe oscar pistorius was arrested here at his luxury home in the early hours of the morning on south african time. south african dictates authorities don't say a great deal. what they have said is they rested a 26-year-old man and charged him with a shooting incident. it's been widely reported mr. mipistorius fired at his girlfriend as many as four times. initial speculation is this may have been a valentine's surprise that went wrong and officials that have spoken with him in the last hour say they weren't familiar with the events. as for mr. pistorius, he's due to appear in a pretoria court in

the next one or two hours where the charges will be laid out against him. officials have indicated authorities would resist any attempt to apply for bail by mr. pistorius' lawyers and people in south africa are stunned by this news. this is a country that has no shortage of national icons and he is certainly one of them through his humility he's displayed and his sportsmanship, matt. >> rohit, thanks very much and our thanks to otto boldin as well. another story we're following, the nightmare cruise for passengers on the stricken gulf of mexico. almost at an end now. janet is where the ship is nearing port. good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. the latest update is the cruise ship triumph will arrive at the port of mobile sometime between 2:00 and 5:00 this afternoon. that is central time.

you know those people on that ship will want to get off as soon as possible but the reality is disembarking is a process that will take several hours. while carnival has arranged for the families to get home as soon as possible, the hotel rooms are here with family members who didn't want to wait and want to see them as soon as possible. >> reporter: when the ship finally docks in a few hours, passengers will arrive after days without food and few working toilets and a tugboat was sent out to help tug it through the ship channel. for mary and kim, the last place they thought they'd be was alabama. they drove seven hours from texas to meet their terrified 12 and 10-year-old daughters, cruising with their dads. >> she was scared she would never get to see me again. that, as a parent, to hear your child say, i'm scared i won't ever see you again, momma, that was heart wrenching for me. >> reporter: carnival is

promising to get everyone home as soon as possible. passengerings will get hotel rooms in either mobile or new orleans tonight and dozens of buses have been broug in for those who want to leave immediately. >> there's nothing i can do except wait. that's what i'm doing. >> reporter: guy also made the trip from texas to meet his fiance, laura. it will be a massive operation getting everyone off the ship. mobile is setting up a triage unit right at the port to check people who think they might be sick. >> every decision we've made since sunday morning is to insure the safety of our guests and to get them home as quickly as possible. >> reporter: on wednesday, carnival said it would give passengers an additional $500 each. in addition to full reimbursement and a future cruise. it also canceled 12 more cruises on triumph, the vessel now out of service until at least mid-april. mary said she's fine if her daughter never sets foot on a cruise ship again. this morning, she's counting the

minutes until rebecca is back in her arms. >> it will be the happiest moment in my life up until now except for maybe when she was born. it's up there. i can't wait to see her and can't wait to have our eyes lock and have her run to me. it means everything. >> reporter: turns out a lot of passengers are opting for the coaches back to texas as soon as possible, not going to stay in a hotel and not going to wait for a flight home tomorrow. keep in mind, when they get back, they still have to go to galveston, hundreds and thousands of passengers have left cars at the port of galveston where the cruise ship left from so they're not back home yet. they have to pick up their cars and then drive home from there. it's been a long long ordeal and we will start hearing from them very soon. back to you. >> jamie baker is on the ship right now. good morning, can you hear me? >> yes, i can. >> how are you and your fellow passengers doing? can you describe the conditions aboard the ship?

>> my friends and i, we're doing okay. it is extremely terrible conditions. we have no toilets, we have no electricity. there's only emergency electricity, which basically lights up the landing strips in the hallway. sanitation is a huge problem. food is very sporadic. sometimes they'll have like burgers that you have to wait in line literally for four hours. most of the time, though, my friends and i, by the time you get to the end of the line, they just have like sandwiches, you know. it's just -- to me, i'm from houston, texas, lake jackson, just south of that, and it reminds me of like hurricane vacse evacuations when we have no power, like katrina except it's a dome and floating. >> have there been days you haven't gotten to eat at all? >> there have not been days we haven't gotten to eat.

it's basically bread is what you get. the their sandwiches are like maybe a thin slice of tomato with mayonnaise, by the time we get there, you know. however, the one good thing i have to say is the crew has been phenomenal. they have tried to do the best that they possibly can. the leadership, oh, my gosh, like they'll tell us one thing, you know, for example, a tugboat was supposed to come once that first evening. we sat on the water for two days with nothing. the seas are really high. in fact, that night, my friends and i slept with our life vests in our bed. i truly truly thought the boat was going to tip over because it slants at like a 45 degree angle one day and then the next day, it's to the other side. like, i don't know, pipes are busting. i know the sewer is backing up and like water is in the cabins and it's just a nightmare. >> it sounds absolutely

horrendous, jamie. did i hear you correctly a few moments ago, there are no working toilets or there's just -- >> there's very limited. for example, ours worked one day for one hour. but then it has not worked since then. so basically we've had an hour of it working. i mean, we have to use the bathroom in these bags in the trash can, you know, like the vanity trash can. then we have to take it into the hall and put it in these bigger bags. it's so -- you know, it's not good and the smell, oh -- >> i can only imagine, jamie. how are the other passengers handling this? have you seen any instances of other passengers becoming ill. is there any you're very worried about right now? >> well, yes, we were in line one night and a lady passed out. they think she was maybe having a heart attack. they gave her baby aspirin.

we hear rumors of other things and heard one man had a heart attack. the worst i saw was a little girl sitting on a floor with a breathing treatment machine. guess she had asthma and her machine was plugged in where people were charging and she was getting a breathing treatment, meanwhile, there's water all around her. it's just very very scary. it's extreme conditions, you know. >> well, jamie, we're so happy to talk to you. i hope this is going to come to an end very very soon. thank you for being with us this morning and telling us about the conditions aboard the ship. >> thank you. >> now, here's matt. >> savannah, new. we have new information this morning on the deadly end to the manhunt for that former los angeles police officer christopher dorner, this as we hear for the first time from the couple who was tied up by that murder suspect in their mountain cabin. n nbc's miguel is there. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. initially, there were reports it

was a mother and daughter cleaning crew that stumbled on to dorner behind me in the cabin. in fact it was a married couple and wife. they called 911 to the dispatchers, there was concern there was a cleaning crew in this area and put out that warning. that's where the confusion was. needless to say, when they walked into their cabin, they couldn't believe their eyes. >> we had come into the living room. he opened the door and came out at us and he had his gun drawn. >> he yelled stay calm. >> reporter: karen and jim reynolds weren't just looking down the barrel of a gun, they were face to face with an accused killer. >> when he came out and said stay calm, karen screamed and started running. he ran after her. >> he caught her at the door. >> on the staircase. >> reporter: there he stood 6'2" 270 pounds dressed in camouflage ready to kill. >> he said i know you've been seeing the news and know who i

am. >> reporter: christopher dorner had been using the cabin as a hideout and told the couple you had nothing to fear. >> he said he didn't have a problem with us, just wanted to clear his name. i don't have a problem with you so i won't hurt you. >> reporter: accused of murdering three, on the run for six days, dorner was likely inside the reynolds' home for much of that time. now, he wanted out. >> asked if we had a car, where is it? >> reporter: dorner would take the reynolds' car, first he forced them to the bedroom. >> he was always very very calm. and he really -- you really could tell that he was professionally trained. >> reporter: he bound their arms with ziplock, stuffed their mouths with towels, then covered their heads with pillowcases. >> i had a pillowcase over my head, i thought he may have changed his mind. >> reporter: the reynolds thought they would be killed. after 15 minutes, dorner walked

out the front door, armed and ready for war. >> vehicle taken was purple maroon nissan rogue. the suspect took the keys and took off in the vehicle. >> reporter: with dorner gone, the reynolds broke free and called 911. >> we have the suspect hold up in a cabin. >> reporter: police chief say the former cop gunned down a sheriff's deputy now identified as a 35-year-old jeremiah mackay, the last of dorner's four victims. >> another officer down. >> copy, another officer down. >> reporter: with the murder spree over, the reynolds afraid for their own lives never wanted dorner to lose his. didn't wish him dead at any point, i really didn't. i prayed for him a lot, and i'm praying for his family now. >> this morning, investigators are trying to determine how long dorner was holed up in that cabin behind me but also trying to figure out how they may have missed him when they made a sweep through this area.

matt. >> big bear, california this morning, me dpe morning, miguel, thanks very much. we begin with the mega merger just announced to create the world's largest airline as u.s. airlines and america joins forces. tom covers aviation for us, good morning. >> hi. natalie. this is an $11 billion deal and he helps american airlines emerge from chapter 11. 95,000 employees, 637 daily flights. what does it mean for travelers? previous airline mergers often led to higher ticket prices, watch for that. these two carriers expected to operate separately or longer. existing tickets honored and frequent flyer programs for now will replay in separate and this deal will require justice department approval and that could take some time. natalie. >> thank you. the president has declared a state of disaster in southern

mississippi after a powerful tornado ripped through hattiesburg earlier this week. officials estimated it could take tens of millions of dollars to repair the destruction left in the twister's path and severely damaged a college campus and hundreds of homes. good news for the economy. fewer americans are on the way to foreclosure. the number of homes being are repossessed dropped 28% january of 2012 and january of this year and meantime, employee 401(k) accounts surged 21% last year according to fidelity investments and attributed to a strong stock market and increased contributions by individuals and their companies. any other good news to report from the stock exchange? sn>> no but good news overseas could knock the s&p 500 off its highs. and they're all contracting in the fourth quarter. wall street isn't in love with valentine's day.

historically, the s&p 500 is up 52% of the time. but on february 14th, its winning percentage is only 39%. investors must have other things on their mind. back to you. >> i'm guessing so, mary thompson at the new york stock exchange. thank you. leonard cooper has to be the coolest kid in his high school now. here he is on "final jeopardy" at the team tournament, the category military men, clue on june 6, 1944, he said the eyes of the world are upon us. check out how leonard handled this. knew, we go to leonard cooper. he's looking happy, why? did he come up with dwight eisenhower? >> i didn't. >> some guy in normandy. but i just won $75,000. >> the correct answer was dwight eisenhower becoming president. no question the kid is a champ and gets to take home the big

check of $75,000. >> that's cool. >> talk about a cool way to handle it. >> no idea but i still win. seats. strategy. natalie, thanks. mr. roker is here with a first check of the weather. >> that's right. our friends in florida are on a big storm train. we laid down the tracks with this stationary front and storm after storm is running across. look for rain to bring anywhere from 3 to 5 inches over the next 24 hours. we have a clipper coming across the great lakes. light snow generally about 3-6 inches of snow, from green bay all the way to traverse city and mckackinaw city, we are lookingt 6-9 inches of snow. we'll get to your local forecast in a second but first this message. tell me we'll grow old together. in sickness and in health. tell me that i'm still the one. that you need me. that i'm your super hero!

tell me you'll never let me go. tell me you miss me. that's all i need. [ female announcer ] for everything they need to hear this valentine's day, there's a hallmark card. >> good morning. there could be a few icy spots to start today. we expect a mixture of that ease yo that's your la. savannah. coming up breaking news of olympic runner oscar pistorius for the murder of his

girlfriend. we'll talk to somebody whota

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. the university of baltimore police trainee shot in a training exercise remains in hospital. the instructor reportedly fired his regular service weapon instead of the training weapon

he had been carrying. six members of the baltimore police training academy are suspended, following the outcome of an investigation. >> let's bring you up-to-date on what to expect at moravia road and pulaski highway. we have an accident involving an overturned vehicle. on the inner loop past baltimore national pike, watch for an accident. northbound ritchie highway at 695, the beltway there. westbound 109-97, closures in effect due to an accident. very heavy traffic there. this is what the west side looks like. over to you, tony. >> the rain-snow mix has

refrozen. there is a little bit of fog out there. 28 in westminster, same thing in parkton. as soon as we get the sunshine improving, conditions will improve greatly. it will be a nice afternoon. high temperatures will be in the mid-forties, about average this time of year. the arctic cold front goes through friday night and i could bring another round of snow.

7:30 on a thursday morning. it's the 14th day of february, 2013. we're following stunning news coming out of south africa, the murder arrest of olympic sprinter oscar pistorius following an overnight shooting at his home. we will have an clexclusive interview coming up with the woman who apparently was oscar's girlfriend. matt lauer with savannah guthrie. we will have a chance to talk to clinton romesha about the act of bravery that just

earned him a medal of honor. be john say getting personal about her love and marriage and what she considers to be her biggest battle of her life. we will begin with this overnight story, murder of the girlfriend of oscar pistorius. joining us is the managing director of the agency that represents reeva steenkemp. our condolences. >> thank you. >> what can you tell me about what you learned about what happened here and what may be the circumstances? >> we've been in communication with people on the scene since a quarter to 8:00 this morning. it's been a very long morning. there are no official statements. a lot of speculation going on at the moment. we are unable to provide any information accurate at this moment. our thoughts and prayers are with that family and everyone is

waiting to see what's going to be happening as everyone is in court as we speak. >> i can imagine the shock across south africa and across the world because so many people have come to know and love oscar pistorius. obviously he is innocent until proven guilty and we don't know the charges and what the nature of the charges may be. had you witnessed this relationship at all? how long had they been together and did you see anything that would have caused you concern? >> no. they've been together a couple of months. i'm not at liberty to comment on their private life. we were her agent and her publicist and today, we've seen nothing. so it's devastating and very shocking for us, too, for everyone. >> had you ever met oscar? what were your impressions? >> yes. the same as everyone else. charming, great guy. shocking. >> have you been able to talk to any members of reeva's family? do you know how they're doing?

>> i have. no, they're not doing very well right now, as you can imagine. everyone is -- there's no words to describe the sadness. they're not doing very well right now. they're surrounded -- they're surrounded by family and friends, as much support -- but, you know, it doesn't bring their daughter back at the end of the day. >> indeed. the police spokesman said this morning there had been previous incidents at oscar pistorius's home and reports of quote a domestic nature. do you know anything about that? >> no, absolutely not. i don't. >> had you seen them interact? could you determine what kind of relationship they had? >> i have. they were two people that were going out. they seemed happy. i can't comments a to, as i said the intimate relationship that they had behind closed doors but they looked happy, as any couple would when out. no, i didn't see anything.

>> sarit tomlinson, our condolences to you and reeva's family. thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >> so many questions that haven't been answered. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks. our friends out west will be dealing with a lot of wind today, high pressure building in and almost santa ana winds, wind gusts up to 45 miles an hour in southern california. and here new york city high of 48 degrees. 49 in new york city, 54 in washington d.c. and saturday that front moves through, temperatures drop anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees. atlanta will drop down into the 40s. on sunday, the cold air in the northeast really sets up. we start to see some moderate ing >> good morning. there could be some icy spots to

start today. it should be a pretty nice valentine's day. high temperature that's your late e weather. matt. al, thanks very much. now to our special series, flashpoint guns in america. is it possible to personalize firearms so they will only work for the owner. tom costello has been looking into that question. good morning. >> matt, the short answer is, yes, it is possible. this idea was floated 20 years ago to address the number of police officers by someone who grabbed their weapon. since then, the technology has come a long way. what if the gun that adam stole

from his mother to kill 20 children and 6 adults in newtown, connecticut, what if that gun refused to work? a smart gun only fired by its authorized owner, the kind of technology we see in the latest james bond movie, ""skyfall"." >> the grip has been coded to your palm prints so only you can fire it. less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement. >> turns out it's not just in the movies. >> if you take it from me, within seconds, the light turns red. give it back to me, i take it from you, it's green again. >> reporter: the technology already exists both in handguns and rifles. with the i-gun rifle, it's all about the micro-chip inside the ring the gun owner wears. the chip transmits a code in the receiver to the rifle.

>> it's looking for a particular code. if it does not find the code, it does not unlock. >> reporter: inventor, jonathan mossberg calls it a ring of safety. >> with the ring it does not fire, with the ring, it does fire. >> reporter: designed to keep guns away from children or any who fears their gun could be used against them. >> maybe a homeowner in a certain situation. mate be an air marshall, maybe a teacher who chooses to carry a firearm. >> reporter: with a german made armatix handgun, it's a pin encoded in the watch. >> it won't shoot because it's red, when give it to him. >> reporter: but the nra believes it could be a first step towards gun control. >> this is all really pie in the sky hypothetical. >> reporter: nra says smart technology could drive up the cost of a gun and any questions whether it would be reliable when an owner needed a gun for

self-defens self-defense. >> what we really need is not smart guns and prohibition of firearms. we need gun education. >> reporter: gun policy advocates point to the 500,000 guns stolen every year and 600 people killed in accidental shootings. technology that could save some of those lives, moving from the movies. >> good luck with that. >> to mainstream. >> won't shoot. >> we mentioned the smart guns were first discussed 20 years ago but then that discussion fell by the wayside. one concern has been if a police officer needed his or her smart gun to work and it didn't, the consequences could be deadly, but smart guns are already being sold in europe and asia. matt. >> tom costello, thank you very much. up next, he showed incredible braver rin the face of an all out attack by the taliban, the nation's newest medal of honor winner live in our studio. after this.

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we are back now with a true american hero. >> retired army staff sergeant clinton romesha resthefd medal of honor this week and we will talk to him and his wife in a moment but first the actions that earned him the highest military honor. keating, afghanistan, 2009, oo 200 u.s. soldiers against nearly 400 call ban. enemy fire from every direction. three u.s. soldiers killed in the first hour. >> they held out as long as they could but the overwhelming fire made it impossible to do anything but sit there and take it. >> staff sergeant clinton

romesha took out an enemy machine squad before grenade shrapnel blasted his hip, arm and neck. but he kept on fighting. >> i knew i had been hit but i could still walk and talk and run. i was good to go. >> thinking victory was theirs, the taliban fighters entered the out post. >> they think we're all dead. all right, guys, let's get them for this and let's show them we're still here and still kicking. >> eight u.s. soldiers were killed and romesha led the firefight to drive the taliban out and get the bodice of his american comrades. >> you won't beat down that spirit that we will win. we were going to win that battle. >> this week, president obama awarded romesha the medal of honor. >> this is our nation's highest military declaration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> at the ceremony, it was romesha's son, colin, who nearly

stole the show, just a day with daddy, the war hero. >> and staff sergeant clinton romesha is with us along with his wife, tammy. good morning to you both and congratulations. >> thank you. >> we'll talk about what happened in afghanistan in a sec. take me back to the white house. what was it like to have the president place that medal around your neck? >> so many emotions going through your head. to know i'm sharing the experience with so many great friends and family and all of america and all their great support that they give us, while soldiers are still overseas. >> this was an incredibly moving ceremony not just for the words that are said but there's an image of you, sergeant, where it's so powerful, it seems to say it all. tammy, what was it like for you to see your husband standing up there receiving the highest honor? >> very emotional, like trying to hold this all together and making sure colin doesn't get down again. >> your husband had kept some of

the details of what happened in afghanistan from you until recently. do you think that was the right idea? >> i think so. >> was it hard to hear what he actually went through? >> there are certain aspects that are hard, but, you know, he's my hero everyday before, after and in the future. >> it's hard to do justice to what you and your fellow soldiers went through, but just to set the scene a little bit, these were desperate circumstance, you're in this remote out-post, you wake up surrou surrounded by hundreds of taliban fighters. there's just 52 of you. in that moment, do you think you knew how desperate these circumstances were? >> in that moment, you knew you had to rally the guys. we had to stick together as a team like we had done time and time again and dig deep and just like, you know, all the soldiers out there, you know, it's our job. that fighting spirit, you know, and let's go, guy, you know, let's win. >> you defied orders at one

moment. you were told to stay put and instead you ran right into the fire. at that moment, that split second decision, how did you make it? >> just reacted. i mean, just -- >> instinct? >> yes. let, you know, the gut lead the way. and we got lucky, got lucky. >> well, the unthinkable happened while you were there. at one point the taliban actually breached the campus, which was your home. they're walking in. what was your thought at that point? >> just wow, really? you know. >> disbelief? >> yeah. you know, it was like just couldn't -- it took a while for everything to engage, it was like, no, this ain't going to happen here. >> tammy, your kids are young, right? we saw colin running around at the white house. at some point they will be old enough and know what dad did. do you think they will feel their father is a hero? >> oh, yeah. we're going to be a family.

they're going to know what they -- you know, they will have all the pictures everyone has taken. it will be okay. >> more important when the president says it, sergeant, but for the entire nation, we say thank you. thank you very much and congratulations. >> thank you. >> it is a pleasure to meet you both. we will be back, right after these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up.

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back at 7:50 now. the late night comics are having a little bit of a field day with one of the talked about moments from the state of the union. senator marco rubio's awkward move to get a sip of water during the republican response. take a look. >> let me tell you from experience it is not easy being on tv. you have the sweltering lights. you have the audience, you have the cameras, knowing you're being watched by millions.

[ applause ] >> it really can give a person a little bit of cotton mouth. >> i'm sorry. i'm nervous tonight for some reason. i'm just sweating a bit so i had to -- i'm just going to ju just -- just going to -- get something to drink here. [ applause ] >> just so thirsty. should have drank something before the show, i don't know why i didn't think of that. >> actually, the most impressive thing about president obama's speech last night, he did the whole thing without a single drink of water. >> and some things going through marco rubios' mind at this moment. that looked presidential, right? >> you handle it by always maintaining eye contact with the home viewer and connecting to

the audience. >> why was the water so far away? it would have been less awkward if he reached down the front of his pants to get it. >> you know -- >> it would have been less awkward had he been wearing one of these on his head during the speech. >> took your suggestion. the hat or camelback will be good. i'm sure this won't come up on "snl" this weekend. >> why was the water so far away. >> at that point, better to have no water. >> his look, okay. >> exactly. >> you almost have to feel bad. they prepared so hard for this speech and this is the thing people remember. >> i know. >> it's a thankless speejob, di in spanish and english. >> a thankless job. >> and coming up, savannah carrying around tables in new

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> all the major roadways experiencing heavy volume. it will take you 46 minutes to get through that stretch. you can see all the major roadways leading up to the belt way. here is what it looks like on the west side at security. eastbound 100 and telegraph road, we have some icy spots. 13 miles per hour on westbound

100. 295 tracking the southbound delays from 100 to the capital beltway. i-97 and 32, heavy traffic in both directions. westbound 195 in the area of 295, watch for an accident. northbound ritchie highway is closed at 695 due to a crash. pulaski highway and edgewood road. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> conditions will improve for the rest of the drive time. temperatures will start to jump. 31 at the airport. relative humidity of 96%. that should change over the next half hour and 45 minutes. 32 in easton. the icing problem should go away over the next couple of hours. partly to mostly sunny skies. high temperatures will climb

into the mid-forties. average high is 45. should be a decent day during the day, but tomorrow night, arctic cold front coming through.

good morning. >> 8:00 now on this thursday morning, thursday february 14, 20 2013. it is valentine's day. we say happy valentine's day to all of you at home and the fine folks who came out to rockefeller plaza to say hello. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up, we will see beyonce like we rarely see it. is there a new documentary and in it she talks quite openly about her marriage and what she does in those performances. a lot more from her. >> we've all been doing these psas and it's savannah's turn

and her cause is helping feed the hungry and turning the tables on hunger. >> literally turning the tables on hunger. a reminder, tomorrow morning, savannah and i will be live from boston. we will be in the boston area. stop by. we have history and music and song and dance. >> and a little something down your pants. >> live from boston, massachusetts. join us, we will have a good time. we're looking forward to it. >> take this show on the road. >> we receive. >> exactly. natalie morales is at the newsdesk. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. double amputee olympic runner oscar pistorius was charged overnight with the valentine's day murder of his girlfriend. the model, reeva steenkemp was killed outside his home and they said there had been previous incidents at the home.

a nine millimeter was recovered. pistorius was the first track athlete to compete at the olympics last year. and more than 4,000 passengers and crew members aboard the disabled carnival cruise ship. the carnival triumph is being towed today. an engine caught fire and left it drifting in the gulf of mexico. passengers had been complaining about heat, unsanitary conditions and inadequate food. carnival disputes some of those claims and has admitted the ship had other mechanical problems in the weeks before the fire. earn airlin american airlin have announced a mega merger that would create the world's largest airline. it must be approved by a judge in a federal bankruptcy case and federal regulators. we're also hearing for the first time with a couple who came face to face with fugitive ex-cop christopher dorner just

before he kill a police officer in that standoff. jim and mary reynolds returned to their vacation home tuesday and confronted by dorner. >> very insistent that -- >> he didn't have a problem with us, just wanted to clear his name. he said, i don't have a problem with you so i'm not going to hurt you. >> dorner suspected of four murders, bound and gagged, apparently covered their heads with pillowcases before stealing their car. the couple broke free and called 911. now, for a look at what is trending today, a quick look what has you talking online, lady gaga canceling the rest of her "born this way" world tour. she will need surgery to repair a hip injury and had joint inflammation but it is worse than that. and an hour-long flight delay tuesday at kennedy's airport, the celebrity couple

had to be privately screened and in an airline employee let them bypass the checkpoint, a violation of protocol. and this went viral about eating sprinkles and this shows still hasn't learned his lesson about fibbing. >> how old are you? >> 3. >> you're 3? sn>> do you have any pets? >> yes. >> a puppy. >> although you don't have a puppy. have you read my book? yeah. what did you think of it? you like it? >> have you ever driven a car? >> yeah. >> a lot of tough questions. >> since john thoroughly plundered his mother's sprinkle supply, ellen presents him with his very own sprinkles bar and keep him busy and hyped up on sugar a long time. back to al with the weather. >> that is spectacular. thank you. it's your birthday today.

what's your name? >> amy. your birthday is valentine's day. did oou amy getiaim -- amy get ripped off? birthday and valentine's together. >> you're alex. >> what's your name? >> eli. >> are you with them, eli? >> yeah. >> but you're kind of standing away a little bit just in case things go badly. let's see what we've got for you today. for our today's friday field trip in boston, tomorrow, partly cloudy, breezy, milder, 48 degrees. i did not want to hear savannah whining about the weather. >> i don't know what you're talking about. >> never. as you can see we have a little bit of a clipper moving off through the great lakes and will drop 3-6 inches of snow in the northern rockies and parts of the pacific northwest. a lot of heavy rain through central and southern florida. beautiful day in the western gulf and texas and southern california although a little

>> good morning. there could be a few icy spots to start today. we expect a mixture of sun and clouds. temperatures in the mid 40's and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, mr. roker. coming up next, beyonce gets personal with what she say is the battle of her life, in her own words. then, why we're doing heavy lifting for my public service announcement. this wednesday, we're live at the biggest flower market in the world. there's my order right there. fist, these messages. [ male announcer ] why is kellogg's crunchy nut so delicious?

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back now at 8:09, with one of the newest stars, beyonce. >> she seems to be everywhere. won grammys and sold millions worldwide and now she's airing her inner most thoughts in a documentary set to air this weekend on hbo. >> i always battle with how much do i reveal about myself? how do i keep my humility? >> clearly, back in the spotlight following a year long maternity leave, 31-year-old beyonce knowles stripped of makeup and open about her vulnerabilities invites the politic public to witness floorves her private life in a documentary she co-directed called "life is but a dream. >> how do i keep my spirit and reality and how do i continue to be generous to my fans and my craft? how do i stay current, but how

do i stay soulful? and it is the battle of my life. ♪ >> reporter: in january, it shocked many to learn beyonce used prerecorded tracks at president obama's second inauguration. her critics were silent at a february press conference days before her super bowl show. ♪ >> any questions? >> reporter: the singer's ability to inspire on the stage always on her mind. >> you look in the audience and you see this little girl that was me when i was looking at michael or janet or tina turner, and there's no way i'm not going to give 100%, because i remember being that girl.

and i'm still that girl. >> reporter: what now seems evident is that beyonce, as she expands her empire beside hip-hop mogul husband shawn jay-z qatar is doing so with a newfound confidence. >> this is a defining moment for her. she's reintroducing herself to the world. she took a little break, hiatus. >> in the documentary, beyonce speaks about her marriage and motherhood, daughter, blue ivory just celebrating her first birthday. she shows herself letting her air down with her sister and kelly roland from destiny's child band. ♪ >> you know, i have been around the world. i've seen so many things. i love my husband, but there's nothing like a conversation with a woman that understands you. i grow so much from those conversations. >> reporter: she speaks about painful miscarriage kept secret until jay-z rapped about it in

his song "glory." nothing is left unsaid. >> beyonce told me she's comfortable in her skin now and why she's letting down these walls. >> when i walk onto a stage, i'm able to come out of my shell and be fabulous and over the top and strong and powerful as i want to b be. >> the documentary airs this saturday on hbo. we'll be seeing much more of beyonce in the months ahead. she is launching a world tour in april. >> a talented lady. when we come back, why sav sna is throwing the world's largest dinner party, right after this. what,t, while we'reg why don't we play a game of hide and seek? right now? yeah go hide. go on buddy. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ son ] are you even looking for me? i am looking! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded big bites of premium breast meat, seasoned in the colonel's original recipe.

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bacon?! bacon? bacon! who wants a beggin' strip? meee! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... it's bacon!!! mmmmm...i love you. i love bacon. i love you. [ male announcer ] there's no time like beggin' time. and sure enough, we're family. but you're not even shredded. you're...crunchy?! that happens sometimes. [ female announcer ] a crunch of whole grain fiber that helps keep you full. new frosted mini-wheats crunch. it's a big breakfast... [ crunch! ] ...in new a little biscuit. [ crunch! ] nature's true celebrities aren't always the most obvious. it's more than being glamorous, or tall. it's not all about who sparkles the most. or who is the best dressed. what nature really cares about is what you have to offer. like the stevia plant. small and humble with a surprising secret to share... sweetness.

truvia sweetener. zero-calorie sweetness, born from the stevia leaf. from nature, for sweetness. we're back now, 8:16, our special series today takes action. and teamed up with the ad council to mark its 70th year and create public announcements for very important issues. >> first, matt played hi hide-and-seek in the name of fatherhood involvement and al for weather preparedness. >> natalie got help from her dog to encourage shelter dog adoptio adoption. >> and today, we're paying asen atension to the growing problem of hunger. >> in this land of plenty, there is a crisis, one in 6 struggles

with hunger and 15 million without enough food and the face of hunger is not always what we imagine. too often, it is the face of a chil child. >> one nation under god -- >> the truth is there isn't always a full meal put on my tabl table. >> you will go to the fridge and there will be nothing there. >> i used to be scared, if any other kids found out i didn't have food i was poor, i thought they would make fun of me. >> i struggled. >> going to get chocolate, christine? how's it look? pretty good? you eat this whole plate, will you be full? >> no. >> lunchtime means different things to those who knows what it feels like not to have enoug enough. >> i see how some people start out with a meal and they start throwing everything away and like they don't keep things maybe for leftovers. >> you don't like to see people

waste? >> no, not at all. >> these kids go to school in a middle class connecticut suburb, but 17 million american children have the same concern. >> i think it's really brave of all of you to be talking to us about it. is it something you feel comfortable talking about? >> why should we have to struggle if we need it to survive, why can't we get it when we need it? >> how often are you thinking about food? usually every single day because your stomach will tie up in knots because you're so hungry. >> everyday you feel like that? >> uh-huh. >> people don't really see that there's hunger right here in these hall ways. >> uh-huh. >> a mind that is always on foreign countries, but it is right here in our community. >> when you get sad or discouraged, what do you tell yourself to make yourself feel

better about everything? >> after a hurricane comes a rainb rainbow. after it gets hard it always gets easier and you make the best of what you have. it always works out good in the en end. >> an apple is really good. >> we asked these kid what they would do if they were superheroes, with the power to end world hung er.hunger. >> my superhero is the food angel. she leaves a basket outside their house with all the food. >> she's flying across the country. >> giving food to everyone in the world. >> she has a magical bag. >> strawberries, corn, an orange. >> let there be food. >> we're so lucky to live in this country and we have so many people that are caring and have big hearts. i think that if more people knew about this issue, they would want to help. so we're going to make a

commercial about hunger in america. what do you think we should say? >> just like you never know what's happening behind closed doors because you never know what people's lives are going to be like. >> ready? >> superheroes we're not but we do have the power of millions of viewers who may not realize the extent of the problem. i joined forces with the ad agency cutwater and joined forces to make this ad. their idea is have me set up the world's largest dinner party with enough tables to feed america. is joe here? >> let me introduce you to him. >> hi. no. i think you're joe. i googled you. >> my director is he legendary joe pitka. this man has directed over 5,000

commercials including some of the most famous super bowl ads ever. and now he's directing someone -- >> savannah. >> who's never acted a day in her life. >> ready for action. >> sorry. say it again. >> go, action. you have to get out of the way. >> you want me out? >> move up. >> let me get out of the way. oh. sorry. well, that didn't work out. i keep getting caught. after a few scenes, i'm convinced they may give my role to the stand-in. >> is any walking up the street and saying, is that savannah guthrie? >> unfortunately, no. >> after a little while practice makes -- >> perfect. timing is perfect. >> it's hard picking up these tables but thankfully, i'm really strong. great. he said i was fabulous. even my co-star, jimmy the cop thinks we have something.

do you feel we have a good actress chemistry? >> yes. you came around after the first couple of hours. >> do you think i have a future as an actor? >> no, not at all actually. >> after a day of heavy lifting, i'm leaving it to joe and the agency to inspire a spot to any who sees it. >> i'm savannah guthrie and together, we're feeding america. >> wow. >> cool. >> such a touching story, so cool to get to do something that we hope will raise awareness. without further ado, we'll see if all that heavy lifting helping end hunger. here's the psa. >> and we're out. you have plans? >> you bet. 50 million americans struggle with hunger. we can do something about it. >> excuse me. >> what's going on? >> dinner. >> please join me in helping put food on their table. together, we can feed america. >> you guys keep going. i'm going to get the plates. >> plates?

>> find your local food bank at feedamerica.org/hunger. >> it's great. >> it's a cool idea because i think we have so much and this is the land of plenty but we don't always think about those who we know. these are friends and neighbors who may not always have enough. if you want to find a feed america program in your area, you can do it head to today.com and look at all our psas. >> hats off to robin, who did an amazing job on this. >> great job. valentine's day, people sending or receiving flowers and chances are they're fresh off a long journey. in amsterdam, home of the world's biggest flower market, michelle, look at you. >> look at all these gorgeous blooms. yesterday, these were growing and today, they're busy wrapping them up. these will land in the u.s. tonight in case of any last minute valentine's. right across the street is the

world's biggest flower auction where 60% of this planet's floral surprises pass-throu thr. it is the site of monaco, a mind-boggling grand central station. color, variety and scents. 12.5 billion stems a year cruise through flora holland. mostly roses. valentine's day is stressful for serious traders vying for the prettiest, brightest, most desired. >> i bought magnolia. >> magnolia. >> right. >> reporter: how much do they cost? >> 30 euro, 50 for one stem. >> reporter: that is nearly $41 each flower. >> reporter: why so expensive? >> because they're very old and just a few on the market. >> reporter: the smell in here can only be described as if you woke up in a bed made of roses.

if someone covered your face with roses. yeah. if you lived inside of a rose. that's what it smells like. sending flowers really got going in the mid-1800s along with books on the symbolic language of flowers, not always nice. red roses for love but yellow meant i really don't like you. >> this beautiful bouquet could mean insincerity, disdain and perform? >> yes. >> reporter: today, refrigeration and transportation make all our most exotic in deciph decipherable floral messages come true. >> a lot of people will get roses for valentine's day that have been sniffed by me. i sniffed your roses. they say here that rose consumption has been going up every year, even with the economy. you really see supply and demand in action. yesterday, distributors were paying about $4 a rose.

tomorrow in most cases that will be down to 1 dollar. remember, that is what they're paying. what you pay is much more. back to you guys. >> michelle, thanks. all right, just ahead, more valentine's love >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. what a morning. >> down to 13 miles per hour on 795. you can see the beltway, the delays stretch back to the j.f.x. on the outer loop and continue 47 minutes there. southbound ritchie highway, closed at the beltway. eastbound 100 and telegraph road, close to do to an accident as well.

westbound, two left lanes due to an emergency response there. watch for slow spots on 97 in the area of benfield boulevard. that is the very latest on traffic pulse 11. >> sun is out, it is beautiful, snow stock in the trees. humidity is 89%. barometer is at 29-96. last night's storm, yesterday's storm, out of the picture. more out of the west. we will see how this develops. maybe a touch of rain, too. today looks good. 42 to 47, the high. by the time hit friday night

into saturday, we could see some snow into rain, depending on the temperatures. another back with update at 8:56.

we are back now. 8:30 on a thursday morning. it is the 14th day of february, 2013. february 14th, of course, translates into valentine's day 2013. love is in the air here on the plaza. we thank these people for stopping by. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, al roker and

natalie morales. coming up, what is love really all about? >> jenna bush hager went to the playgrounds and other places to get a child's perspective. that should be interesting. we will find out what kids think about love, coming up with jenna is just a little while. >> if you ask a lot of people, they will say food is love. in our kitchen, we have great ideas for a romantic last minute meal for those folks who didn't get a reservation or made plans, coming up. plus, a very special valentine's edition of bow the wow. >> and what we love about each other. >> and mr. roker, do we love this forecast in boston tomorrow? >> absolutely. it will be gorgeous. temperatures in the upper 40s, plenty of sunshine. let's show you what we have around the rest of the country tomorrow. arctic express in the plains and cool in the pacific northwest. windy in southern california. sunshine in northern florida. rain and snow showers in the

plains, and snow in northern new england. sunday-sunday looking for snow showers around the great lakes. windy in central texas, sunny and cool in florida and sunshine but windy in the northeast. talk about love. 20 years of wedded bliss. what's your name? sn>> all right. where is the love? right here. very nice. that's what's going on >> good morning. there could be some icy spots to start today. it should be a pretty nice valentine's day. high temperature

when we come back, we're pretty sure she is jenna bush hager an she will give us the kids' view on love. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:35. as we celebrate valentine's day, it's easy to get caught up in flowers and chocolates, "today's" correspondent jenna bush hager decided to get to the heart of the holiday. good morning. >> happy to see you. in a world that's often jaded we took a true meaning of love, as seen through the eyes of children. >> just want to hug you, kiss you and be with you forever and just stay with you. >> love is when you care for somebody and you will do anything for them to make them

happy. >> you love somebody, you don't matter what they look like because you just love them, you adore them. >> fifth grade chorus here at ps 22 in staten island knows a thing or two about love. sing traditional love songs. ♪ >> reporter: and more modern anthems. ♪ >> reporter: for all those who think romance is dead, these kids say love is in the air. >> one year, me, my sister and my brother, we put up decorations around the house and then when my mom and dad came home, we sang happy valentine's day. >> i love valentine's day. i like it because it has candy and chocolate. i love chocolate and i like the little heart shaped ones. >> every year, my dad comes home with flowers and we surprise my mom. >> they open their hearts

through song. bringing happiness and cheer to residents at sunrise senior home. >> some didn't have families that visited them. when we got to sing, it was almost like every song at a meaning, it was really fun because just to see the smile on their faces it was heart-warmin heart-warming. >> the music said something to them. you could tell they really appreciated it. they kept on hugging you and wouldn't let go. they wanted you to stay. >> across town, kids at the educational alliance after school program also celebrate valentine's day, by giving, not receiving. >> who are you making this card for? how common. >> because -- >> valentine card. >> it's a recipe of love and we should care about them. >> show people that you love them. >> reporter: what did you write? >> i wrote roses are red,

violets are blue. >> you are very special, aren't you? >> reporter: for the seniors at this home, the simple reminder the biggest hearts often arrive in the smallest packages. >> it means a lot to me to receive a card from a child that i don't know. >> why are you crying? >> you are touching me. >> reporter: words written or sung, bringing smiles to faces young and old. >> happy valentine's day to everybody. >> happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day. >> reporter: if there's one thing i learned working on this piece, no gesture is too small as long as it comments fres fro heart. they're so sweet. kids are pure. it's fun to see the world through their eyes. >> and the senior citizens were so touched. it was really beautiful. >> they really were.

there were a lot of tears. >> i'm feeling the love. >> we're all tearing up this morning. >> for those of us that have ki kids, did your kids spend hours making valentines because these days, you have to make one for everyone. >> you can't make them? >> no. my little one made 20 valentines. >> i love that. >> it's wild. >> we used to buy those little boxes. >> we bought the cards. >> we had to give it to everybody. >> you're a better parent obviously. >> you're almost there. >> happy valentine's day. >> thank you. coming up next, we stick with the theme, a last minute romantic dinner you can whip up for your sweetie. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now, 8:41 with

our celebration on valentine's day. did you forget to book an under reservation? it's a not too late. you can have an under at home, romantic meal with your sweetheart. sandra lee is here with the latest issue of sandra lee magazine. >> he's already teeing up to give me grief on valentine's. >> there is an ingredient issue we will talk about in a second that caught my attention. the big deal on valentine's, the last thing you want to do is spend your time slaving away in the kitchen. this is the kind of meal you can make and set it aside. >> that's why your producers called me. champagne, candy and pot roast. >> this is cola. what made you think of cola? >> carmel and sweetness in cola will tenderize the meat. you can use unexpensive kinds of meat. rump roast, round roast.

but the cola will add a great flavor. i do not recommend diet. >> why? >> because it has that -- you said it before. >> funny after taste. i don't know if that's the case in pot roast. you braise the pot roast first? >>. >> i am braising all four sides and put the cream of mushroom suit into the cola. what kind of colas can you use? >> anything but diet cola. even root beer. do it like you mean it. this is weird, cola with cream of mushroom soup and onion soup. you're making a mess here. >> that's okay. you're here, you will clean it up. >> that is a concoction a little unusual. >> carrots, onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. then you put your pot roast -- >> right on top of that. >> right on top of that. a roast that big to brown at least takes what? >> at least a couple minutes, depends how high the heat is.

then, you will pour over the cola and soup mixture because you always need something wet in a slow cooker. put it back on, 4 to 6 hours on high heat, 8-10 on low and you are done. would imagine incredibly tender when done. falls apart with a fork. while that's cooking, you can either concentrate on the romance or concentrate on making dessert. we've chosen dessert for us today. >> we all know what matt meant by that. cherry yogurt with whipped topping, frozing section of the grocery store. >> you can make the whipped topping yourself but takes a long time. i have a feeling if you make it, it wouldn't get into the parfait. you have to give him a little bit of grief, now, i'm going to give him grief after mykola. and you can get this store bought or ready made, and put in some of your whipped topping. >> looks good. >> this is good.

>> by the way, cherry yogurt. cherry pie filling. >> if you're not a cherry fan, could you do this with raspberry filling? blueberrie blueberries. >> that's not coming off there. all right. chocolate. my chocolate chips, onto a baking sheet after you microwave them, melt them down. 15 second intervals. there are things that are called hard candies that are colored. you buy them at the craft store. same thing with chocolate. melt that down, dribble it over the top. once you lay out the white chocolate on the baking seat, let it dry, meaning cool, punch it out with your -- right? >> that is really nice. you put a little more on top there and cherry on the top. we have one more dessert back here. talk to me about champagne cupcakes? >> champagne cupcakes, you have to have a little cocktail at the end. instead of water substitute for

champagne or dry white wine cocktail that is godiva chocolate liqueur and irish cream cake and vodka with a chocolate gonash. take a hot knife, cut your ends on the side of the glass. that is a happy valentine's. >> happy valentine's day to you. thank you for the quick suggestions at the end. >> did i give you to much grief? >> not at all. >> i love you. love your wife, too. >> so do i, okay. sandra lee, thank you very much. up next, animals in need. from bow to wow. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> you are nice. always nice.

we are back from bow to wow where we find shelter animals a loving home, a great thing to do on valentine's day. >> hello. the best news on this special loving day we are at 100%, always good. i know i always say this, we have a red and white group guaranteed to be heart melters from the shelter. on the day of love, we have smooch. who wouldn't want to kiss this little dog. >> mooch is a 6-month-old chihuahua mix.

>> he's very very sweet. lots of smooches from smooch. >> this big fur ball northeast that hair is gorgeous valentino, a very desirable breed. >> he is a bre jojon poodle mix. >> he needs a little love on valentine's day. you'd have to not have a heart not to love this boy appropriately named heart. what an angel. chilling out. i just met him 10 seconds ago. he is a perfect package in my car, isn't he? >> he is a norfolk terrier mix, nine months old. >> they're very smart, this breed. this is your lucky day, sweet pea, come here. don't be afraid. she is an angel. look at sweet pea. look how wonderful she was. i'm a stranger to her, pulled her right out of the cage, she's okay, find me a home. >> she's a 1 1/2-year-old

cavalier spaniel mix. >> she is a doll, so mellow and sweet. welcome to the cat cave. to honor our meows we have this adorable kitten appropriately named cupid. >> only three months old. >> very sweet and cuddly, isn't he? >> relaxed in your arms right away. >> we have richard here. without further ado, let's bring out some of these pups. we have smooch. what can you tell us about smooch, brought by willie. >> smooch is appropriately named. if you get close to her, she will give you a kiss. >> we call willie smooch for a different reason. >> this is a real chick magnet. >> i'm all good in that department. >> this is a chihuahua mix. >> she would be good for people that stay at home an doesn't have other dogs. if somebody works at home, home a lot. >> got apartment dog. >> good apartment dog. >> our next is heartthrob

valentino. >> what a difference. you can't even tell the difference between the two, how beautiful he looks. >> would he be good for kids? >> valentino would be great for kids. he loves kids the kids he's been around went right up to. if kids love the play with dogs, he would be a perfect dog for them. >> a poodle mix? >> yes, bijon poodle mix. >> now, he doesn't want to go. loves the camera. >> like, let me stay here. >> exit valentino, enter heart. what kind of breed is this? >> dave is one of our volunteers. we have a lot of great volunteers with us. dave is one of them. an expert in playing fetch. learns very very quickly. >> he decided this is a speaking part. >> exactly. another great apartment dog. >> and this breed, they're very intelligent. >> yeah. very are intelligent.

>> is he full glen? >> he's still a puppy but he will grow a little bit more but not much more than he is. >> okay. thank you so much. our next puppy is sweet pea. i'm sensing a valentine's theme here. a little puppy. i see spaniel in here. >> a spaniel mix. >> she wants to kiss you. >> she's such an angel. >> she's a year and half old. a little shy at fierce but in this foster family licking the cats. if you have cats, she's fine. >> i pulled her out of the came and most animals would billion afraid and kissed me on the lips. >> she's very tolerant letting matt pet her. very sweet. sweet pea, you earned your name. last but not least, we have a meow to wow.

we have a little kitty named cupid. jenna bush hager, she loves that. >> i've been dreaming ab this cat. >> look at that little face. what kind of kitty? >> a domestic short hair, black and white. loves to have his belly rubbed. just lays down. i don't know if he's purring now, but constant purring. >> let's bring everybody back out one more time for one good look. >> i love him. >> if you want more information about these animals, go to the website. thank you so much. on this valentine's day we decided we would get into the spirit and spread the love throughout studio 1a. take a look. >> what do i love about matt lauer? >> matt is somebody who makes smarter, makes us better. >> he is a loyal friend. >> this is harder than i

thought. >> matt's hot. >> no one rock pairs of skinny jeans like matt. >> my girl, savannah. >> savannah is brilliant, funny, self-d self-deprecating. >> what do i love about savannah? how much time do you have zbloncht. >> you don't see her coming. >> getting awfully perfect to her. >> naturally halie has a heart >> so drop gorgeous, natalie makes you nauseous. >> i hate her. >> i love natalie's energy. >> the epitome of grease. >> makes you feel better about anything. >> what do you love about willie? sn>> he gives great hugs, bear hugs. >> his wit and goodness. a great role model for lot of people. >> kathie lee. >> sends a little message of inspiration your way. >> so much compassion. >> turned public drinking into an art form. >> welcomed me here with a smile. >> for that, i love her. >> what do i love about al? is exuberant joy.

he walks in and goes, what' everyone doing, like yelling. >> he brightness my every day. >> what you see is what you get. >> i've only learned recently an outstanding kisser.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the catholic church will give its blessing today for a bill that would repeal a maryland's death penalty. archbishop william lori will testify to take capital

punishment off of the books, saying is keeping with the church's pro-life teachings.

>> the sun is out this morning. that should melt the ice that accumulated. lots of sunshine, northwest winds 15 miles an hour.